Skitourenführer Aostatal

Scope and structure

This is a deep, region-focused ski-touring compendium for Italy’s Aosta Valley, framed between Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso. Walter Klinkhammer organizes more than 350 tours into seven logical sectors—Val Veny, Valle di La Thuile, Valgrisenche, Val di Rhêmes, Valsavarenche, Valle di Cogne, and Pila—preceded by concise chapters on geography, climate, history, and the Gran Paradiso National Park. A substantial “how to use this guide” section explains cartography, slope-angle measurement, the SAC difficulty scale, and skill levels, giving newcomers to Italian topos a clear orientation before they step onto snow.

Coverage and route quality

Tour selection is impressively broad, from lift-adjacent half-days like Col de la Youlaz to serious ski-mountaineering such as Mont Blanc via the Rifugio Gonella. Each route includes a standardised header (start point, height gain, aspect, season window, estimated time, equipment notes) followed by a succinct description. The spread is well balanced: classic lines sit beside lesser-known alternatives and a handful of once-unpublished summits, which helps with crowd avoidance and variable conditions. Hut-based clusters—around Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini and in the Gran Paradiso range (Chabod, Vittorio Emanuele)—encourage short link-ups and multi-day traverses.

Mapping, photos, and usability

Mapping is a strong point. Schematic area maps and clear photo-overlays trace ascent and descent lines across the terrain; slope angles and aspects are consistently flagged, and a handy inclinometer graphic supports on-snow decisions. The text calls out avalanche considerations and seasonal timing, and the mixture of gradients (generally low-30s to high-30s, steeper on summit cones and couloirs) is explicit enough for planning. While access notes and contact details are helpful, some practical information reflects the guide’s older edition; hut openings, lift operations, and glacier conditions should be cross-checked.

Author, region, and verdict

Klinkhammer writes with an alpinist’s eye for line and logistics, and his Aosta context—where French and Italian influences meet and passes like the Little and Great St Bernard funnel winter weather—adds useful nuance. Taken as a whole, this Panico Alpinverlag guide is one of the most comprehensive ski-touring references for the valley.

Recommendation: a thorough, reliable companion for intermediate to expert ski tourers planning anything from day tours to high-alpine ski mountaineering in the Aosta Valley. Pair it with current avalanche bulletins and updated maps, and you’ll have a first-choice reference for the region.

Details

Pages

289

Publisher

Panico Alpinverlag